On Air with Rural Women

The inclusion of women's voices and gender-related issues in the media has the power to promote women’s empowerment by breaking the circle of inequality and dependence.

On the 8th of March, for International Women's Day 2018, UNESCO will present "On Air with Rural Women", an exhibition built around radio broadcasts gathered from local stations in 10 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. The exhibition will be displayed in Salle Miró at UNESCO Headquarters until the 16th of March.

Through audio, video and creative installations, the exhibition showcases how the inclusion of women's voices in radio can contribute to progress on gender issues in some of the most isolated African communities.

Listen to the testimonies of Catherine, a radio manager from a station dedicated to women, Theresia, a midwife who founded her own radio to help the community, and Busisiwe, a young radio host from an historical South African community radio station. Discover how gender is addressed on air in Rwanda, how singledom is perceived in Kenya and how Zambia is dealing with youth sexuality, all through authentic radio programmes from local stations.

All materials featured in the exhibition have been collected through UNESCO’s "Empowering Local Radio with ICTs" project, supported by Sweden, which aims to build the capacity of local radio to provide marginalized populations, particularly in remote and poor areas, with reliable and quality access to information on topics that affect their lives.